Titus FTM Aluminum, ride it. As you may know from my previous post, I took out a aluminum FTM from Titus yesterday.  I got a maiden voyage on her today.  I was really impressed with this version of the bike.  Firstly, this may dominate my whole line of thinking, but the bike is sized as the Large instead of the Medium I was riding.  The fit was spot on and felt immensely better. Dare I say that the Medium was too small for me?  I guess so. The other HUGE difference is the suspension duties performed by Fox on this bike whereas the carbon FTM demo had Rockshox.  The Rockshox Monarch was new and needed more time to open up but the Fox RP23 is in prime condition on this frame since it has been around the block a bit.  The RP23 also has more of a lockout which is really nice feature for gravel grinding in Forest Park. The shifting experiment also went well, but I would rather have XT or XTR than the XO shifters. The shifting was precise and great, but I am just use to the Shimano trigger shifters over the SRAM ones.  Kind of a personal choice decision more than a technical decision. The ride was pretty sloppy, so I scaled the speed back a bit to maintain control.  There were some fallen trees and debris from our last couple storms so going balls-to-the-walls was not recommended.  You may run into a tree if not careful out there.   All in all, I have to admit I like the AL version of the FTM and was thinking that you could go either way and still have a pretty nice bike setup. The AL version will save you some cash which you could invest in a few more road trips.  I don’t think I have to give this one back for a while so I may go get some extended rides in.   More to come later. J Classic “leaning on a post” picture for bike forums. Did I ever mention I am getting tired of this mud?
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Titus FTM Aluminum, ride it.

As you may know from my previous post, I took out a aluminum FTM from Titus yesterday.  I got a maiden voyage on her today.  I was really impressed with this version of the bike.  Firstly, this may dominate my whole line of thinking, but the bike is sized as the Large instead of the Medium I was riding.  The fit was spot on and felt immensely better. Dare I say that the Medium was too small for me?  I guess so.

The other HUGE difference is the suspension duties performed by Fox on this bike whereas the carbon FTM demo had Rockshox.  The Rockshox Monarch was new and needed more time to open up but the Fox RP23 is in prime condition on this frame since it has been around the block a bit.  The RP23 also has more of a lockout which is really nice feature for gravel grinding in Forest Park.

The shifting experiment also went well, but I would rather have XT or XTR than the XO shifters. The shifting was precise and great, but I am just use to the Shimano trigger shifters over the SRAM ones.  Kind of a personal choice decision more than a technical decision.

The ride was pretty sloppy, so I scaled the speed back a bit to maintain control.  There were some fallen trees and debris from our last couple storms so going balls-to-the-walls was not recommended.  You may run into a tree if not careful out there.  

All in all, I have to admit I like the AL version of the FTM and was thinking that you could go either way and still have a pretty nice bike setup. The AL version will save you some cash which you could invest in a few more road trips.  I don’t think I have to give this one back for a while so I may go get some extended rides in.  

More to come later.

J

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-NQ_A0wT53DU/T39qeS7fghI/AAAAAAAAGWs/Uviaxu2AIrs/s458/100_4048.JPG

Classic “leaning on a post” picture for bike forums.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-M8jKdf6dL0k/T39qjZgLuaI/AAAAAAAAGW0/OfjX7kEPfew/s564/100_4049.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-g9BmgUuU3Tg/T39qlECbl1I/AAAAAAAAGW8/QwdiU41FUgo/s458/100_4050.JPG

Did I ever mention I am getting tired of this mud?

Titus FTM Aluminum.  I picked up a Aluminum version of the FTM yesterday to see the difference between this and the carbon version. Yes, the carbon will be lighter and sexier, but I was looking to see the build differences and ride characteristics between the two materials. Normally one doesn’t get a chance to compare each frame a company makes, so I am taking advantage of the situation. This bike is a older demo, but still had a really nice build kit. SRAM XO shifting, FOX suspension, and Magura braking.  As most of you know I am mainly a Shimano guy so switching shifters is always a fun experiment for me.   Check out that 3K carbon weave and shiny gold. Ride like a king! It also came with some bling to spruce it up.  As I posted earlier it came with Portland Designworks Speed Metal grips which are really nice looking and feeling.  Love that anodized frame color. On a ending note: You can pick up Portland, OR made Aluminum FTM today either at the Portland warehouse or online store for $899.99.
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Titus FTM Aluminum. 

I picked up a Aluminum version of the FTM yesterday to see the difference between this and the carbon version. Yes, the carbon will be lighter and sexier, but I was looking to see the build differences and ride characteristics between the two materials. Normally one doesn’t get a chance to compare each frame a company makes, so I am taking advantage of the situation.

This bike is a older demo, but still had a really nice build kit. SRAM XO shifting, FOX suspension, and Magura braking.  As most of you know I am mainly a Shimano guy so switching shifters is always a fun experiment for me.  

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-M6B4zgjuTg4/T38dDWsGm4I/AAAAAAAAGWE/gsyKi-tuSrM/s681/IMG_0173.JPG

Check out that 3K carbon weave and shiny gold. Ride like a king!

It also came with some bling to spruce it up.  As I posted earlier it came with Portland Designworks Speed Metal grips which are really nice looking and feeling. 

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7lX6OgUpJhY/T38dFs1tftI/AAAAAAAAGWI/O4LFBKQhAb0/s458/IMG_0174.JPG

Love that anodized frame color.

On a ending note: You can pick up Portland, OR made Aluminum FTM today either at the Portland warehouse or online store for $899.99.

First ride on the Titus FTM carbon WOW. I miss being on squishy bikes. This bike is too much fun. I have been on a hard tail 29er for about 2 years now.  There is something to be said about preloading before an obstacle and popping up over it instead of bashing straight through it. I know that has nothing to do with this bike, but it has to be said. It is almost like being a monk locked in a monastery for years and then visiting Portland on vacation.  You’d be hard pressed to walk back in to the monastery.  The Actual Ride It was rainy and muddy up around Saltzman and Firelane 5 this morning. It is to be expected for the end of February. It just means slow down a bit going around corners, and your wife will have a conniption if you bring those dang muddy clothes in the house. I figured I would ride down F5 and back up Saltzman, a short ride but being the closest trail to me it would have to do before the workday began. Firelane 5 is all down hill and Saltzman is all up, unless you take them in reverse.  F5 is mostly double track/unimproved road until the bottom section which is twisty singletrack. Saltzman is a road, err unpaved stretch of scenery. I’ve ridden all my bikes on it so it proves to be a good short tester. The FTM, being a trail, bike eats this stuff up for breakfast. Having ample suspension both front and rear brings smiles all around. I found myself going a little faster and pushing a little harder through the techy stuff. I didn’t think about the suspension as I was making my way down hill. Which as you know from my previous posts this is a good thing. The FSR type suspension has been around for a while and as I posted before, feels comfy to me. I know what the bike is going to do and it does it. The new thing to me is the Rockshox Monarch doing the business on the rear end instead of Fox. You have a couple settings (Rebound, Air pressure, and Floodgate) which make it dead simple to setup. A funny thing happened and I left the Floodgate closed this whole ride. I guess I didn’t need it.  I mentioned on twitter last night that I love the thru-axle. Having one on the front should be mandatory for longer travel forks. some may say it is a “nice to have” but once you actually ride with one on your everyday trails it really make them more fun. When you put the wheel somewhere it actually goes there with no complaints. My only complaint is now I will need a new fork, front wheel, and rack. ;) The bottom line I am not one to tell you to buy this bike or that bike. I think you are big boys and girls and can make that decision on your own. If you are in the market for a carbon trail bike I definitely would put this one on your list to check out.  Titus sells the frames online ($1199) or full builds (X9/Rockshox)($3299) at their location in Portland. Contact me if you are in the area and want to see it I may or may not let you ride it :) Final note: The Crank Bros wheels are niiiiiiice! Before getting her dirty Taken at speed The road out.
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First ride on the Titus FTM carbon

WOW. I miss being on squishy bikes. This bike is too much fun. I have been on a hard tail 29er for about 2 years now.  There is something to be said about preloading before an obstacle and popping up over it instead of bashing straight through it. I know that has nothing to do with this bike, but it has to be said. It is almost like being a monk locked in a monastery for years and then visiting Portland on vacation.  You’d be hard pressed to walk back in to the monastery. 

The Actual Ride

It was rainy and muddy up around Saltzman and Firelane 5 this morning. It is to be expected for the end of February. It just means slow down a bit going around corners, and your wife will have a conniption if you bring those dang muddy clothes in the house. I figured I would ride down F5 and back up Saltzman, a short ride but being the closest trail to me it would have to do before the workday began.

Firelane 5 is all down hill and Saltzman is all up, unless you take them in reverse.  F5 is mostly double track/unimproved road until the bottom section which is twisty singletrack. Saltzman is a road, err unpaved stretch of scenery. I’ve ridden all my bikes on it so it proves to be a good short tester.

The FTM, being a trail, bike eats this stuff up for breakfast. Having ample suspension both front and rear brings smiles all around. I found myself going a little faster and pushing a little harder through the techy stuff. I didn’t think about the suspension as I was making my way down hill. Which as you know from my previous posts this is a good thing.

The FSR type suspension has been around for a while and as I posted before, feels comfy to me. I know what the bike is going to do and it does it. The new thing to me is the Rockshox Monarch doing the business on the rear end instead of Fox. You have a couple settings (Rebound, Air pressure, and Floodgate) which make it dead simple to setup. A funny thing happened and I left the Floodgate closed this whole ride. I guess I didn’t need it. 

I mentioned on twitter last night that I love the thru-axle. Having one on the front should be mandatory for longer travel forks. some may say it is a “nice to have” but once you actually ride with one on your everyday trails it really make them more fun. When you put the wheel somewhere it actually goes there with no complaints. My only complaint is now I will need a new fork, front wheel, and rack. ;)

The bottom line

I am not one to tell you to buy this bike or that bike. I think you are big boys and girls and can make that decision on your own. If you are in the market for a carbon trail bike I definitely would put this one on your list to check out. 

Titus sells the frames online ($1199) or full builds (X9/Rockshox)($3299) at their location in Portland. Contact me if you are in the area and want to see it I may or may not let you ride it :)

Final note: The Crank Bros wheels are niiiiiiice!

titus carbon ftm

Before getting her dirty

titus carbon ftm

Taken at speed

Saltzman Portland Oregon

The road out.


Initial photos and thoughts on the Titus Carbon FTM. I dropped by to see the folks at Titus today to pick up a new fun bike to play with for the week.  I am planning on attending the NWTA tail build day out at L.L. Stub Steward on Sunday so I figured it would be fun to take something out there to play with after digging in the dirt.  The FTM is Titus’ 135mm (5.31 inches) travel trail bike with 26 inch wheels.  It comes in carbon and aluminum.   The medium sized frame given to me has a 13.25 inch BB height and slacker 69.25 degree head tube angle. The suspension is handled by Rockshox with a Pike on the front and a Monarch RT3 on the back.  Shifting is handled by the workhorse XT line from Shimano and braking by Magura. Amazingly some Crank Bros Cobalt wheels were also on the bike. I have been wanting to test these wheels for a long time now. My initial thoughts of the bike are that this thing would be the bike to sway me back from the 29er team.  I made the move a couple of years ago and haven’t ridden a small wheel since.  I am also really excited to be back on a FSR type rear suspension package.  It is the last type of suspension that I actually felt comfortable with riding up and down trails. The frame itself is a masterpiece to behold with internal cable routing and inset graphics [Pictured above].  Internal cable routing and smooth lines One more picture of the inset graphic. I think I may sneak out early in the morning to get an early morning ride in on it.  It is that type of bike, that makes you want to get up a 6AM to ride.   More thoughts to come as I put some miles in on it.  Jeremy Titus FTM link.  Online shop link.
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Initial photos and thoughts on the Titus Carbon FTM.

I dropped by to see the folks at Titus today to pick up a new fun bike to play with for the week.  I am planning on attending the NWTA tail build day out at L.L. Stub Steward on Sunday so I figured it would be fun to take something out there to play with after digging in the dirt.  The FTM is Titus’ 135mm (5.31 inches) travel trail bike with 26 inch wheels.  It comes in carbon and aluminum.  

The medium sized frame given to me has a 13.25 inch BB height and slacker 69.25 degree head tube angle. The suspension is handled by Rockshox with a Pike on the front and a Monarch RT3 on the back.  Shifting is handled by the workhorse XT line from Shimano and braking by Magura. Amazingly some Crank Bros Cobalt wheels were also on the bike. I have been wanting to test these wheels for a long time now.

My initial thoughts of the bike are that this thing would be the bike to sway me back from the 29er team.  I made the move a couple of years ago and haven’t ridden a small wheel since.  I am also really excited to be back on a FSR type rear suspension package.  It is the last type of suspension that I actually felt comfortable with riding up and down trails. The frame itself is a masterpiece to behold with internal cable routing and inset graphics [Pictured above]. 

titus carbon FTM headbadge

Internal cable routing and smooth lines

titus carbon ftm

One more picture of the inset graphic.

I think I may sneak out early in the morning to get an early morning ride in on it.  It is that type of bike, that makes you want to get up a 6AM to ride.  

More thoughts to come as I put some miles in on it. 

Jeremy

Titus FTM link.  Online shop link.